About the team
The National Security & Resilience Team participated in CSIRO’s pilot Green Impact program last year, during which they actively engaged in addressing their team’s flight-related carbon emissions.
The Security team recognised the significant impact of their flight-related carbon emissions on their collective carbon footprint. They took inspiration from global actions, such as the ban on short-haul flights in France, which highlighted feasible alternatives to air travel. To tackle emissions from similar flights at home, particularly those between Canberra and Sydney, the team adopted a policy favouring road travel over air travel. By scheduling shared trips using CSIRO’s hybrid vehicles, the team could significantly reduce their carbon output.
Challenges were, of course, encountered, particularly in balancing the personal and professional commitments of team members, which sometimes necessitates air travel. However, by fostering a supportive environment that prioritised safety and individual choice, as well as managerial support, the team ensured that sustainability efforts were adaptable and inclusive.
The Security team’s initiative was driven by a communal sense of responsibility towards sustainable practices, rather than external incentives. The commitment aligns with CSIRO’s broader objective to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030, underlining a strategic approach to environmental stewardship. This case study exemplifies how targeted actions, supported by organisational and team commitment, can lead to substantial improvements in an organisation’s ongoing sustainability commitments.
“We didn’t track our impact during the pilot, but online carbon calculators indicate that flying four people Canberra-Sydney return produces somewhere between 0.8t and 1.2t of CO2, whereas if those same four people drive there and back in a hybrid vehicle it produces about 0.15t.”
